Improvement in valves foe steam engines



@initie gieten atcnt @ffies CHARLES R. OTIS AND NORTQN P. OTIS, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK.

I Letters Patent No. 68,783, dated Septemer 10, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN VALVES FOR STM ENGNES.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: i

Be it known that we, CiIARLEs R. Oris and Nomos P. Oris, of Yonkers, in the county of Westchester, and State of New York, have invented an improved System of Valves and Passages in Steam and other Engines, in which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, and in whichi i Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a steam engine having our improvement applied to it, and shown as driving a hoisting apparatus. y

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section taken for the most part through the steam-cylinders, main valves, and passages looking from the rear towards the outer side or reversing-valve chest.

Figure 3 represents a horizontal section taken as indicatedby the line :cx in iig. 2.

Figure 4, a front or face elevation of the stcam-cylindcrs and connecting-valve chest with the cover of the" reversing-valve chest er chamber removed, the reversing-valve being shown in red outline;- and Figure 5 a. view in elevation oi' one of the main valve-cylinders detached, and showing the shape and position of the passages which establish communication between said cylinder and its respective steam or enginecylinder. l I

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several figures.

Our improvement is applicable to engines working in combination or having cylinders in duplicate, with their respective pistons vdifferently set in point of stroke, if requisite, relatively to each other, said cylinders not being of an oscillating or movable character. Said improvement, though applicable to other purposes, is

here shown as connected with such double-cylinder engine employed in the drivingof anV ordinary hoisting apparatus, which not being part of our present improvement, we shall not minut-ely describe. 1t may be well,l

however, to remark in connection withengines so employed that much of their efficiency depends upon thcj control which is or may be had over the reversal of their actions for hoisting or lowering goods, as desired, and

in the general action and arrangement of the valves with their chambers or chests and passages connecting the duplicate engine-cylinders and several valves; and our improvement partly'or mainly consists in a novel construction, employment, and arrangement of certain of these parts, `whereby not only stability and` durability are secured, but an easy control and eiiiciency generally are effected in a comparatively simple manner.

To enable others )skilled in mechanism of the class to which our improvement refers, to malte and use the same, we will now proceed to describe it as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

A and A represent the two engine-pistons working in their respective cylinders` BB', and giving motion by their rods and pitmen to the driving'shaft C of a hoisting apparatus. The two engine-cylinders-B B are rigidly connected by means of a main valve and steam-passage chamber or chest, D. These passages may for the most part or wholly beformed by coring the casting which forms the chest, and which may be of one piece with the bedor foundation plate so as to give increased stability and lessen the liability to leakage. Of these passages a is the main steam pipe or inlet which conveys the steam from the boiler through the main Valve-chamber D t0 the reversing-valve and steam-chest E; and Za is the main outlet or escape pipe similarly arranged relatively to said valve-chests. The main valves FF are of double piston form working in cylinders G G', and controlling steam-passages c c and dd at either end ofthe engine-cy1inders B13/ 'The spaces between the heads of either double-piston valve F F are made to communicate by a connecting passage, c, while the spaces outside the heads of said pistons at either end of their cylinders are connected v vith each other, and the two valvecy1inclers united by means oi' branches and passages ff', and g, the latter having a branch, 7L, opening into the reversing-valve chest E, and the valve-connecting branch e likewise being provided with an extension, z', in similar communica* tion with the said chest. The passages cc del at either end of the engine-cylinders have their connection with the valve-cylinders G G established by means of a series of oblique apertures, 7c 7c, arranged roundsaid cylnders and opening into annular passages ZZ, which form extensions of the passages cc' and d d at either end of the engine-cylinders. By this oblique construction of the connecting-apertures c k, the piston-valves FF are restrained from catching or cutting, and their traverse rendcredemoother and easier when passing o1' crossing the said apertures than if the same openings or breaks in the continuity of the cylinders were at right angles to the line of travel `oi' the pistonvalves, contact with the edges of said apertures being in the latter case sudden and abrupt, while in the obliquev construction here shown of them it is gradual and easy. The reversing-valve I-I'is of a disk forni, and is made to control the passages() h z' which communicate with the outside valve-chamber E. It is provided with an exhaust cavity, m, and induction aperture, n, and takes in steam frolntho rear, steam being received into the valve-chest E by the induction pipe a.

From this minutevclescription of the construction and arrangement of the several parte, a brief` explanation will sulice to make cleanthe operation of theV same, Thus, by turning the reversing-valve H t'opass steam through its aperture n into the passage z', which communicates by the connecting pipe e with the spaces between the heads of the piston-valves F F, the exhaust cavity m is brought over the eduction pipe b and branch h, which connects the outsi'lc or end spaces ci' the piston-valves together, and the engines are made to run, say, in a forward tlirection, but by reversing the position of the outsile valve so as to make its steam aperture n cover the branch z., and its exhaust cavity control the @duction passage and branch z', the motion of the engine will, it is obvious, be reversed, while by turning the lever or handle o ei' said valve into, say, a horizontal position,` so as to shut off communication -With both branches i andvz", the engines will bestopped.

This our improved system of valves and passages not only insures stability and durability, with comparative .freedom from leakageand derangement, but is easily controlled' and managed, practicaLQiperiuients proving the same to been improvement upon previous systems.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The valves and passages, essentially as herein shown and described, consisting of the main piston-valves FF with their passagesffe Lz, and induction and efluction passages a and b within the valve-chest D, in combination lwith an outside reversing-valve, H, arranged for operation together, substantially as specificd.

' onAs. n. cris,

NORTON P. OTIS.

Witnesses:

RAEFAELLE COBB,- LYMAN COBB, Jr. 

